


A Soul for a Soul

by scarletchidori



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Character Death, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Natasha Romanov deserved better, Natasha Romanov's Arrow Necklace, clintasha is implied, tony stark being a good friend to clint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:15:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24060436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletchidori/pseuds/scarletchidori
Summary: Once upon a time he told Natasha that none of their mission will ever be able to separate them, if only he knew what would happen to her he would have said something else. His was an empty promise, nothing more and nothing less.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Tony Stark, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	A Soul for a Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again!!!
> 
> This is a sequel to "Bow and Arrow", sort of. I really hope that this isn't dumb as I think it is. While I was thinking about who would have been the one to console Clint after Nat's death, I kinda automatically gave that role to Tony.
> 
> As always kudos are really appreciated, and if you want let me know what you think.

_ "I would be lost, drifting  _ _alone_

_ Floating up high, time after time _

_ And there you'd be, shining brightly _

_ Your smiling face, to guide my way" _

_ (Hollow - Final Fantasy VII Remake) _

*

He tries to reach her hand to no avail. He feels his eyes stinging with tears, it can’t end like this.

“Wait,” he says holding her forearm.

“Let me go,” she says with a calm voice.

“No,” he begs her “No. Please, no.”

“It’s okay,” her face doesn’t betray any fear, her eyes are gazing at him, and he knows her enough to say that there is a faint smile on her lips. 

Determined as she always has been, she has already decided who should sacrifice. She used Clint’s grappling arrow to secure him against the wall for a very specific reason.

She decided to be the sacrifice. She decided for him too, because she knew that Clint would give his life to save hers, he would carve his heart out of his chest if that could save her life. Clint knows that this is the only way, but he cannot bring himself to let her go.

“Please,” he begs one last time fully aware that the inevitable is about to happen. He has no choice but let her go “I love you,” he whispers hoping to be heard by the one person who in a way will own a part of his heart forever.

“I love you, too.”

Natasha pushes herself back with a kick on the cliff. Clint’s hand lets her go as a consequence, and he can’t do anything to save her. The only thing he can do is watching her fall to her death. He wants to cry, to scream, to fall next to her.

Suddenly Clint wakes up in a pool and the soul stone in his hand is the inevitable proof that Natasha is really gone.

Is this Nat’s soul? He doesn’t know and at the moment he doesn’t even care. He cries, clinging to the stone as if it is the only thing that keeps him whole. Those five years that he had lost will never be returned to him. He could have spent so much more time with Natasha, and now she is gone.

No deception, no joke or smoke in the eyes. He activates the Time-Space GPS knowing that he achieved his goal.

*

He told the others about Nat’s sacrifice. But after talking to them he understood that all he wanted was to be alone for a while. Alone with his thoughts and guilt. He remembers when he told Natasha that she was 'his arrow' and that a bow without its arrows was basically useless. Right now 'useless' describes how he feels. 

Once upon a time he told Natasha that none of their mission will ever be able to separate them, if only he knew what would happen to her he would have said something else. His was an empty promise, nothing more and nothing less.

“Clint?”

“Leave me alone,” he whispers to Tony.

“You shouldn’t be alone,” Tony replies sitting next to him.

“She’s gone,” Clint whispers.

“I know.”

“It was supposed to be me,” he says again without looking at Tony “Not Nat.”

Tony lays a comforting hand on Clint’s shoulder “Don’t blame yourself.”

“But it's my fault,” he whispers.

“She wanted to give you a chance, don’t waste it.”

Clint doesn’t answer. He knows that Tony is trying to help him, to ease his pain but right now he wants to push away everything and everyone.

“Give me your hand,” Tony suddenly says while Clint does as he said “I found this in Nat’s room, I think… you should have it.”

Clint feels his heart crushed by pain as soon as he sees what Tony has given him. It is the necklace that he had given to Natasha as a birthday gift. The necklace with the arrow-shaped pendant. 

“I shall leave you alone now,” Tony says.

  
”Tony?”

“Yes?”, he responds clearly worried about him.

“Thank you.”

Tony nods smiling at him “Take all the time you need. We will prepare everything as soon as you are ready.”

As soon as he’s alone Clint allows himself to cry while looking at the necklace. The moments he shared with Natasha flashes before his closed eyes, the rare moments when she allowed herself to be weak in front of him. Their first hug- so desperate and unforgettable was what made him realize that he was already willing to give his life to save hers, because no one would ever be able to open his heart like she did. He confessed everything to her from the happiest moments in his life, to those he wished he could forget. She knew everything about him, and he knew everything about her. 

After what seems like hours, Clint is ready to fight. He wears his uniform again, putting Nat's necklace in the inside pocket — next to his heart — because it was hers from the first time he met her. With his eyes closed he can almost see Natasha's face and her bright smile, and Clint finally accepts that even though she's not with him anymore, the bow has found its arrow again.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying my best to not make mistakes (English is not my first language) but if you see some mistakes please let me know!


End file.
